1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to floor working machines, and more particularly to a floor working machine with a working implement mounted on a self-propelled vehicle body, the working implement being a waxing implement, cleaning implement, washing implement, polishing implement or the like for acting on floor surfaces formed of varied materials such as wood, stone, resin, concrete and so on.
2. Descripytion of the Related Art
In treating a floor with a floor working machine of the type noted above, generally, the machine is moved back and forth. For example, the machine is run straight from one end to the other end of a work line, and is turned around at the other end to reverse the direction of travel and place the working implement on a next work line. Then, the machine is run along the next work line in the opposite direction. It is convenient to cause the machine to make a U-turn in order to reverse the machine at the terminal end of each work line and to place the working implement on a next work line. Conventionally, therefore, the direction of travel can be reversed only by U-turns of the floor working machine whether the machine is the non-automatic type running by command signals provided by the operator or the automatic type running automatically based on a running program.
However, it may be necessary to treat certain portions of a floor surface more often than other portions. For example, a portion of a floor surface may be badly worn and stained, requiring more waxing or cleaning operations than the other portions. Further, an area may be left untreated when the working machine deviates from a work line. It is then necessary to run the machine along the work line again to treat this area. In such a case, the working machine must be moved over a long distance when the machine is returned to the work line needing re-treatment after finishing treatment of an entire working range. It may also be difficult to distinguish the area to be re-treated from the other areas. It is therefore advantageous to run the working machine along that work line immediately after reaching the terminal end thereof. For it is unnecessary to move the working machine over a long distance or to locate the area needing re-treatment. However, the conventional working machine having reached the terminal end of a work line must make a large U-turn in order to place the working implement back on the same work line. Thus, it is a time-consuming and inefficient operation to make a positional adjustment for causing the working implement to re-run the same work line.
Moreover, a waxing or cleaning operation may have to be repeated for an entire working range which is in a serious shortage of wax or badly stained. In such a case, the working machine must be moved over a long distance when the machine is returned from to an original, starting position from the terminal end of a final work line. The operation may be repeated efficiently, without moving the machine over a long distance, if the machine is reversed at the terminal end of the final work line to run in the opposite direction from the terminal end. However, in repeating the operation by turning the conventional working machine at the final work line, the machine must make a large U-turn in order to place the working implement back on the final work line. Thus, it is a time-consuming and inefficient operation to make a positional adjustment for causing the working implement to re-run the final work line,
The object of this invention is to provide a floor working machine capable of efficiently operations whether work lines require repeated treatment or not.
The above object is fulfilled, according to this invention, by a floor working machine comprising a self-propelled vehicle body including a working implement for treating a floor surface; U-turn control means for causing the self-propelled vehicle body to make a U-turn automatically to, adjust the working implement to a work line adjacent a work line treated before the U-turn; spin turn control means for causing the self-propelled vehicle body to make a spin turn automatically to alien the working implement to a work line treated before the spin turn, and running control means for automatically controlling the U-turn control means and the spin turn control means in response to input signals for causing the self-propelled vehicle body to make selectively a U-turn under control of the U-turn control means and a spin turn under control of the spin turn control means.
When there is no need for repeating an operation, such as repeated waxing or repeated cleaning or when no area is left untreated, a signal is inputted manually or automatically to the running control means for causing the machine to make a U-turn. Then, the U-turn control means operates, under automatic control of the running control means, for causing the machine to make a U-turn to adjust the working implement quickly to a work line adjacent a work line treated before the turn. This enables the machine to treat all work lines successively in an efficient manner. When a certain work line is badly worn or stained and requires re-treatment, or when all work lines require re-treatment such as repeated waxing or repeated cleaning, a signal is inputted manually or automatically to the running control means at an appropriate time for causing the machine to make a spin turn. Then, the spin turn control means operates under automatic control of the running control means. The machine makes a spin turn to adjust the working implement quickly to a work line treated before the turn. The machine runs along this work line again in the opposite direction to treat the work line properly. The machine may run along all of the work lines in the opposite direction from the terminal end of a final work line to carry out a repeated operation efficiently.
Thus, when there is no need for repeating an operation for part or whole of a working range, the machine may be caused to make a U-turn quickly to assume a proper position for running along a next work line simply by inputting a U-turn signal. In this way, the machine may run along all of the work lines successively for efficient treatment. When a certain work line requires re-treatment, or when an entire working range require re-treatment, the machine may be caused, simply by inputting a spin turn signal, to make a spin turn quickly to assume a proper position for re-running along the work line treated before the turn or for running along the final work line in the opposite direction. In this way, the machine may carry out the operation efficiently though the operation is repeated, by appropriately running along part or all of the work lines.
Moreover, a manual operation for inputting a signal is done with ease since only a U-turn or spin turn signal needs to be inputted to the running control means.
The self-propelled vehicle body may have one dirigible front drive wheel and a pair of right and left non-dirigible, free rotation rear wheels, the spin turn control means being operable to cause the self-propelled vehicle body to make a spin turn about a middle position between the right and left rear wheels by steering sideways and driving the front wheel.
With this construction, when the front wheel is steered sideways and driven, the right and left rear wheels rotate in opposite directions by propelling action of the front wheel. Then the machine makes a spin turn about the middle position between the right and left rear wheels.
Thus, a spin turn is enabled by a simple construction in which the front wheel is dirigible and drivable. This achieves a repeated operation advantageously and at a relatively low cost.
The running control means may include a semi-automatic control unit, the semi-automatic control unit being operable, in response to a U-turn command from a control unit, to control the U-turn control means for causing the self-propelled vehicle body to make a U-turn, and in response to a spin turn command from the control unit, to control the spin turn control means for causing the self-propelled vehicle body to make a spin turn.
With this construction, the operator works while observing a finishing state of the operation, running of the machine and conditions of the floor. If everything is in order, the operator inputs a U-turn signal to the semi-automatic control unit through the control unit when the working machine reaches the terminal end of a work line. Then, the U-turn control means operates under automatic control of the semi-automatic control unit for causing the machine to make a U-turn to adjust the working implement to a work line adjacent the work line treated before the turn. In this way the machine is caused to run along, all work lines. If a certain area is left unwaxed or insufficiently cleaned or a certain work line is badly worn or stained, the operator inputs a spin turn signal to the semi-automatic control unit through the control unit when the working machine reaches the terminal end of the work line. Then, the spin control means operates under automatic control of the semi-automatic control means for causing the machine to make a spin turn to align the working implement to a work line treated before the turn. In this way, the machine is caused to re-run along the work line in the opposite direction. When repeating the operation such as for waxing or polishing the entire working range again, the operator inputs a spin turn signal to the semi-automatic control unit through the control unit when the working machine reaches the terminal end of a final work line. Then, the spin turn control means operates under automatic control of the semi-automatic control means for causing the machine to make a spin turn to adjust the working implement to the terminal end of the final work line. The machine is ready to run along all work lines in the opposite direction from the terminal end of the final work line. Thus, the machine runs along and treats all the work line successively only by effecting a remote control.
Thus, when there is no need for repeating an operation for part or whole of a working range, the machine may be caused to make a U-turn quickly to assume a proper position for running along a next work line simply by inputting a U-turn signal at an appropriate time. In this way, the machine may run along all of the work lines successively for efficient and easy treatment. When a certain work line requires re-treatment, or when an entire working range require re-treatment, the machine may be caused, simply by inputting a spin turn signal at an appropriate time, to make a spin turn quickly to assume a proper position for re-running along the work line treated before the turn or for running along the final work line in the opposite direction. In this way, the machine may carry out the operation efficiently though the operation is repeated, by appropriately running along part or all of the work lines.
The running control means may include a full automatic control unit, the full automatic control unit being operable to control the U-turn control means and the spin turn control means automatically based on a set running program, for causing the self-propelled vehicle body to make U-turns at ends of a working range, and when the running program so requires, for causing the self-propelled vehicle body to make spin turns at predetermined turning positions and run in opposite directions.
That is, a running program is set in which the final work line of all work lines is regarded as a terminal end. Then, the U-turn control means operates under automatic control of the semi-automatic control unit for causing the machine to make a U-turn to adjust the working implement to a next work line. In this way, the machine is caused to run along and properly treat all work lines automatically. The program is set in which the terminal end of the final work line is regarded as the turning position. Then, the U-turn control means operates under automatic control of the semi-automatic control unit for causing the machine to make a U-turn to adjust the working implement to a next work line. In this way, the machine is caused to run along and properly treat all work lines automatically. When the working machine reaches the terminal end of the final work line, the spin turn control means operates under automatic control of the full automatic control means for causing the machine to make a spin turn to adjust the working implement to the terminal end of the final work line. In this way, the machine is caused to run along and treat all of the work lines in the opposite direction from the terminal end of the final work line.
Thus, the entire working range may be treated a predetermined number of times automatically simply by setting and starting a program. The waxing operation is repeated automatically when an entire working range is badly stained or badly needs waxing, and is automatically stopped after one run when the working range is not so badly stained or does not badly need waxing. In this way, appropriate treatment may be given with ease according to conditions of the floor surface. The operation may be repeated by running the machine in the opposite direction from the terminal end of the final work line.
The full automatic control unit may be operable to control the spin turn control means for causing the self-propelled vehicle body to make a spin turn in a direction in which a U-turn is made immediately before the spin turn.
When repeatedly treating the entire working range, the work line from which the machine is turned back is often close to a wall. In such a case, when the machine makes a spin turn about the rear end thereof at the turning position in the opposite direction to the U-turn made immediately before, the front of the machine tends to more from the center of the turn toward the wall and could inadvertently contact the wall. In the construction according to this invention, the spin turn control means, under control of the full automatic control unit causes the machine to make a spin turn in the same direction in which a U-turn is made immediately before the spin turn. The front of the machine therefore moves about the spin center, away from the wall, instead of contacting the wall, when making a spin turn.
Thus, even if the turning position is close to a wall, the machine can make a spin turn without hitting the wall even. The turning position may be set as close to a wall as possible. This feature allows the working machine to operate efficiently, minimizing untreated floor areas left along the wall.